Objective: This study is to determine the QoL of dialysis patients and to determine if there is a relationship between QoL, specific biochemical markers (albumin and haemoglobin), dialysis adequacy (Kt/V, a measure of urea clearance), age, and diabetic status.

Methods: All eligible chronic dialysis patients from all modes of dialysis (hospital haemodialysis, home haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and satellite haemodialysis) were invited to return SF-36® questionnaires. The Short Form 36 (SF-36®) QoL survey form measures QoL in eight parameters; physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role-emotional (RE) and mental health (MH). Statistical analysis includes t-tests, Z-tests, correlation and regression analysis and chi square tests to determine if there are any significant relationships.

Results: The overall QoL results remain poor in comparison to Australian normalised results. Mean scores in dialysis modality show a significant difference in PF and RP (p<0.05) with home haemodialysis scoring the best results. Diabetics and non-diabetics score significant differences in PF, RP, BP and MH (p<0.05). There are significant differences in scores between the age groups in the parameters PF, RP and MH (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Dialysis patients continue to have significantly poorer self assessed quality of life compared to the Australian normative scores despite improvements in dialysis treatments and quality improvement programs to improve dialysis adequacy and biochemical markers. Dialysis patients appear to require more than just good biochemistry and better dialysis to achieve a good QoL.